MSE Newborn to 1 year Baby Club 1

*Nutella*

Crabapple - big congratulations!

jediquigley

Dizzi, don't let it wind you up it really will make you ill. I have constant negative comments about breastfeeding from the grandparents and give him a dummy I try to not let it get to me.

Congrats crabapple, how are you feeling?

Can't wait to get next car seat for Niall, he is only 17 weeks and weighs about 6.5kg so a while off yet, want to get him the cossato monster one, hope it fits y car, will try it out at kiddicare nearer the time.

My mum wants me to wean Niall I think she thinks it will be the answer to his poor sleep but I am not going there yet.

Laura

*Nutella*

Turtle, love the pic of Reuben in his seat - he looks happy

Katie, the carrot sticks are indeed messy, but oh so much fun! And tbh I'd happily eat them all myself if LO didn't want them...

Just back from the shops - they're normally really quiet on a Monday, but not in December it seems! LO and I were both frustrated by the end of it - we're making up for it with some bouncing (her) and ginger cake (me). I didn't even get most of the things I was looking for, like a rug and fairy lights for LO's room (but I did find a cushion) and some hair accessories for her (they're all so pink and sparkly - boo). But she does now have a big girl's hairbrush - she's got so much hair that I've long given up on the baby comb and brush and instead I've been using my own hairbrush on her. Oh, and then I bought some cotton wool - hugely exciting, I'm sure you'll agree.

We were supposed to meet a couple of friends and their LOs for lunch, but all three babies have a cold (as do I), so we decided not to...

fluffnutter

Nmon! Nmon! Nmon! I could eat Reuben up, turtlemoose! He's gorgeous. Here's a pic of my munchkin, cos pics are fab.

Crabapple

I finally got to speak to the nurse at the gps and she said it's really common for babies to get 'post-viral infection' after colds (ie they don't have a name for it!). Often coughs last for 6 weeks and can get worse around the 2/3 week mark so she reckons it is that as dd is fine in herself. I'm happy with that for now and can get back to them if things don't get better in a few more days. In the meantime it's steamy bathroom a few times a day to help her out!

The pregnancy is great but still a bit in shock about it to be honest! We weren't thinking things would happen so quickly and munchkin will only be 18 months old at the due date. I'm getting really tired mid afternoon but aside from that all is okay as far as I can tell. I'm really lucky in that I don't get morning sickness *touches wood*. My first scan is 4th Jan so I don't think I'll be able to relax about it at all until then.

Jedi - it is early for weaning unless your dr or hv advises it (they sometimes do for preemies or reflux for example). There's no logical reason food would help with sleep - most of the things you can give them at that age (purees and baby rice are the usual suggestions and yuck to the baby rice) have far fewer calories than milk so you're filling them with nothing. Advice now is 6 months but I reckon it comes down to the babies being ready and some are sooner than that. Even though we do blw we started at 5.5 months because she could sit up and was starting to nick stuff of our plates and gum at it!!

Gillyx

Today is just one of those days, OH left the toilet door open before going to work so went in to find a whole tin of dry shampoo down the bog, he's just opened a cupboard and broke a shelf, and all the stuff in it is laying all over the floor. Bring on bed time, please. I'm going to attempt the Christmas tree, don't know why I'm bothering it'l be pulled a part tomorrow. When I tell him no he screws his face up and starts screaming. I'm ready to scream, I think it's the lack of coffee today. Plus the fact OH has been on lates for 4 days on the trot now.

dizziblonde

Well that went well - hubby came in to me sat with tears rolling down my cheeks (the cumulative effect of the MIL crap at the weekend and this week's visit hanging over me)... tried to explain how I was feeling - didn't wanna hear it at all. He's screened out the digs about how I should have been doing the garden with a 3 month old, the endless endless bottle-feeding jibes (considering the marvellous SIL bottle-fed as well this one's particularly not on), the constant wearing me down picking at me... still just has it down to "oh if it was YOUR mother coming down you'd be happy"... considering the idiot knows how fraught the mother-daughter thing is with my mum as well - but at least she has slightly more chance of listening to what I'm saying and tells me I'm doing a good job - rather than just whining because I didn't prune a rosebush while giving birth.

Then we had the whole "you need her to take over so you can have a break" - no, because it won't BE a break and there was this undercurrent of "you're doing a lousy job" in the conversation... told him basically if it's so lousy - call social services on me.

On top of which one dog's been woofing everytime a fly farts in the street today which means every single nap attempt's been thwarted, and the other dog's thievery has now reached such heights you can't leave a spoon or bottle in the washing up bowl for 20 seconds... let alone anything cuddly toy shaped anywhere - and the fact we've discovered we can SHOUT (and been doing it constantly since about 11am - before that it was just ramming fingers up my nose and the ensuing nose bleeds) and I'm fed up.

Nowt will change from the "conversation" we had - his "helping" will still consist of sitting down with her on his knee watching Pointless while I run upstairs to fetch pyjamas, fetch her food, make her bottle up, while sorting the steriliser and dogs out (and cleaning the kitchen so his mum doesn't have a go about that - despite it being mess HE made)... then in order to get it done properly it'll be the joy of hoovering with SPD so we don't get digs there and then he'll sit there all pathetically so she irons two months' worth of his work shirts like normal - and glares at me that I don't do them like the dutiful wife I am.

So yeah - considering I was really looking forward to this week and the start of the pre-Xmas stuff, and her baby group party on Weds and things... now I'm not at all.

Am giving up and saving the measly £20 a week I get to spend on doing stuff with the baby during the week to buy a new moses basket as I'm still getting no backup there (he just basically told me to get the car and drive to the Scottish Islands and back and get it myself) - means we won't even be able to pay for parking to go down to the library but still - I need to be able to get stuff sorted out and if that means I'm going to have to spend every penny I own on buying baby stuff again - I'm gonna have to do that... think I can get £40 or something from selling my old phone handset as well, and possibly the other spare handset lying around the house - should cover getting some clothes in that aren't on lockdown off the UK mainland.

dizziblonde

Oh and congrats Crabapple - and yes the first tri tiredness is doubly brutal with one to look after! It's lifting the little lump with SPD that's killing me at the moment - I keep feeling like my legs are going to fall apart like some slightly defective barbie doll.

fluffnutter

dizzi, what would happen if you just smiled sweetly at the monster-in-law and ignored her jibes about the house/garden/shirts/Erin etc.? I think it's awful that you're wearing yourself out just to please her.

As regards your OH, that's how men help isn't it? They're doing 'childcare' (i.e. the fun stuff) whilst you're doing all the hundreds of other unseen jobs that wouldn't occur to them. That's why they can never understand why we're so worn out. They think being a full time mum whilst trying to keep the house up together is all fun-fun-fun cooing at a baby interspersed with a bit of light dusting.

But the MIL is another issue. It's not great that your OH isn't supporting you particularly well but even so, isn't there something you could do yourself to get a new perspective on things? Honestly, it's really none of her business what your home and garden are like and she's incredibly rude for interfering. Obviously you can't tell her to do one but nor do you have to let her dictate how you run your own home.

mozzyc

This is our new carseat and pushchair we've just bought x